Front supporting mechanism for ski safety bindings

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a front supporting device for ski safety bindings having a support jaw with lateral arms for supporting a boot and with means for additional support of the boot, said means being arranged between the lateral arms and being supported against the support jaw substantially at the height of the additional support. These means preferably comprise two supporting elements arranged on a rocker unit and being relatively movable with respect to said lateral arms preferably by means of a slide-piece, by eccentric means or the like.

United States Patent 1 91 1111 3,850,438 Sittmann Nov. 26, 1974 FRONT SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR 3,638,959 2/1972 Reuge 2110/1 1.35 T SKI SAFETY BINDINGS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lnvemori Brigitte Siflmann, Stuttgart, 270,467 4/1969 Austria 280/1 1.35 T

. Germany [73] Assignee: Verinigte Baubeschlagfabriken Primary Examiner-R0bert R. Song Gretsch & Co. GmbH, Stuttgart, Attorney, Agent, or FirmCraig & Antonelli Germany [22] Filed: July 3, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT [2]] App]. No.: 268,443 The invention concerns a front supporting device for ski safety bindings having a support jaw with lateral arms for supporting a boot and with means for addi- [30] Foreign Application Pnomy Data tional support of the boot, said means being arranged July 5. 1971 G y M33367 between the lateral arms and being supported against the support jaw substantially at the height of the addi [52] [1.5. CI 280/ll.35 T tional Support These means preferably comprise two [51] Int. Cl. A63C 9/08 Supporting elements arranged on a rocker unit and [58] Field of Search 280/1 1.35 T being relatively movable with respect to Said lateral arms preferably by means of a slide-piece, by eccen- [561 References C'ted tric means or the like.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 40 Cl 4 D 3,194,574 7/1965 Beyl 280/] 1.35 T rawlng gums FRONT SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR SKI SAFETY BINDINGS The invention concerns a front supporting mechanism for ski safety bindings with a support jaw which has lateral supporting arms for supporting the boot and which will, in the event of excessive transverse forces, disengage against a locking resistance, in which connection for additional support of the front section of the boot, one or preferably several support elements are fitted, preferably with roller friction action between the lateral supporting arms.

One item of the invention is a secure grip of the ski boot by means of the support jaws with simultaneous adaptation of the support arms and supporting elements situated at the jaw for additional support of the front part of the boot in such a way that it contacts the lateral supporting arms as well as the additional supporting elements regardless of the size and shape of the ski-boot.

A further item of the invention is the especially reliable and practically moment-free absorption of the forces acting on the additional supporting elements.

Accordingly a feature of the invention is that the additional support elements of the front part of the boot are mainly supported in a near horizontal plane on their side at the support jaw which carries them.

According to a further feature of the invention, with a design having two additional supporting elements which are mounted on a rocker unit which pivots round a vertical axis similar to a rocker beam, the rocker component is pivot mounted as free as possible of bend and tilt moments on a longitudinally adjustable slidepiece at the supporting jaw.

Another item of the invention is .the ability to adjust the support jaw and the' supporting media in a simple and comfortable way.

To simplify longitudinal adjustment with the boot on, an accessible adjusting component is fitted, so that adjusting can be done directly at the boot, without troublesome testing of the additional supporting units when adjusting relative to the supporting arms being necessary.

A further feature of the invention is that the relative setting between the additional support elements and the lateral support arms is so effected that the lateral support arms in relation to the support jaws are arranged so that they are adjustable longitudinally, whereas, for example, the additional support element or elements are mounted in a fixed manner on a rear attachment of the support jaw, e.g. by means of a rocker unit.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, adjustment can be done by means of an eccentric unit which can be adjusted for example by a pair of screws fitted transversely to the ski or a suitable worm gear unit.

Further details of the invention are contained in the following description of two design examples.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an initial design with longitudinally movable additional supporting elements partly in section taken along the line l-l of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 a side view of FIG. I, partly in section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. I,

FIG. 3 the top view of a second design of the invention with longitudinally adjustable lateral supporting arms, and

FIG. 4 a side view of FIG. 3 partly in section taken along line 44 of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 1 a support jaw 113 is pivot mounted on a base plate 111 fitted to the ski, by means of a journal 112 and locked to it in the vertical axis 112a. A locking spring 115 is fitted in a recess of the supporting jaw 113, and is directly or indirectly held against a locking ball or locking roller 117, which runs into a locking recess 118 of the journal 112 in the central position indicated. When'the support jaw 113 pivots round the vertical axis 112a, the locking ball or locking roller 117 is forced out of the recess 118 of the immovable journal 112 against the action of spring 115.

The support jaw 113 has two lateral supporting arms 119 and 120 firmly connected to it, against which the front part 121 of the boot lies, that is to say either the toe section of the boot 121a or the boot sole 12111.

In a rear recess 113a of the supporting jaw a screw component 138 is installed in a suitable manner in one or two bearings either as a threaded pin or threaded spindle, on which a slide piece 129 is fitted which has an inner thread and can be adjusted longitudinally. A gear unit e.g. a worm gear or screw wheel 142 is locked to a screw component 138 in the longitudinal direction of the ski, into which a vertically arranged threaded spindle or worm unit 143 or a suitable screw wheel engages as an adjusting mechanism. This can, with the boot in the binding be operated from above by means of a rotary knob or a screwdriver etc.

Slide piece 129 has on the opposite top and bottom sides a journal 125 arranged in the x-x axis, on which a rocker unit 124 consisting of the two rocker arms 124a and l24b is pivot mounted. The rocker unit 124 carries the additional support elements 122 and 123 which are designed as rollers by means of the journal 128.

By longitudinal adjustment of slide-piece 129 or rocker unit 124 using the screw component 138, the front part 121 of the boot can be made to contact the lateral arms 119, 120 and for example by means of the boot sole 12117 the additional support units 122 and 123 simultaneously.

Contrary to the first example according to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the lateral supporting arms 219 and 220 are fitted and are movable and adjustable longitudinally with reference to the support jaw 213 instead of the additional supporting units 222 and 223 with rocker unit 224. For this purpose the lateral supporting arms 219 and 220 are united into a single slide-piece 244 which is practically H-shaped and is positioned by means of two arms 245 pointing forwards in the longitudinal direction of the ski at the lateral guide surfaces 246 of support jaw 213,

which are provided with overlapping parts. In this case a transversely positioned worm gear 243 serves as the adjusting component for longitudinal adjusting of part 244, which in a worm wheel 242 meshes with supporting journal 225 installed in a lug 213a of supporting jaw 213 on whose cylindrical journal sections the rocker arms 224a, 224b or rocker unit 224 are pivot mounted. Supporting journal 225 is connected to an eccentric journal 247, which engages in a slot 248 in sliding-piece 244. By turning worm gear 243 and through this action the supporting journal 225 of rocker unit 224, slidepiece 244 can be movedforwards and backwards in the ski longitudinal direction with the two lateral arms 219 and 220.

As can be seen, adjusting screw component 138 of the first design example and adjusting screw component 242 of the second design example are situated at the same height as the additional supporting elements 222 and 223. The forces acting in the forward direction at the additional supporting units bear against supporting jaw 113, 213 without lever arm or any significant lever arm in the vertical direction directly above adjusting units 142 or 242.

What I claim is:

l. A ski-boot end supporting mechanism for ski safety bindings comprising:

a support jaw unit with two lateral supporting arms for holding respective opposite lateral sides of an end section of a ski boot,

attaching means for attaching the support jaw unit to a ski,

additional support means arranged between said arms for additionally supporting the ski boot,

and adjusting means for adjustably moving said additional support means and said arms relative to and independently of one another in the longitudinal direction of the ski, said adjusting means including force transmitting guiding means arranged at substantially the same vertical height above said ski as said additional support means.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.

3. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes a slide piece and means to guide the slide piece longitudinally at the support jaw unit at substantially the same vertical height above said ski as said additional support means.

4. A mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said supportjaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.

5. A mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.

6. A mechanism as defined in claim 5, in which said adjusting means includes means accessible from the outside at the support jaw with the boot fitted in place.

7. A mechanism as defined in claim 5, in which the additional support means comprise: two support members fitted on both sides of the ski longitudinal axis and a rocker unit on which said two support members are arranged, with provision for pivot mounting of the rocker unit on the slide-piece about a substantially vertical axis in relation to the ski surface.

8. A mechanism as defined in claim 7, in which said adjusting means additionally has a gear member provided with threads whose axis of rotation runs in the ski longitudinal direction and in which said slide-piece is also fitted with threads for engaging in a threaded spindie of said gear member.

9. A mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said two lateral supporting arms are formed as a single rigid unit.

10. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the additional support means includes two support members arranged on respective opposite sides of the ski longitudinal axis, and wherein the adjusting means includes: a component movable in the ski longitudinal direction and a horizontal beam type rocker unit, on which rocker unit the two support members are situated, said adjusting means further including provision for pivot mounting the rocker unit on the component about an axis extending substantially vertical to the ski surface between the two support members.

II. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which the rocker unit has a top and bottom transverse member between which said component is fitted.

12. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which the two support members are designed as two rollers.

13. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which said adjusting means includes a toothed reduction gear.

14. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which said adjustment means includes means accessible from the outside at the support jaw with the boot fitted in place.

tersecting rotating axes, the driven gear co-operating with said component.

16. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 5, in which the gear members of said toothed gear unit are so arranged that the axis of the driving gear member runs substantially in the ski transverse direction, and the axis of the driven gear member runs substantially in the ski longitudinal direction.

17. A mechanism as defined in claim 15, in which the gear members of said toothed gear unit are so arranged that the axis of the driving gear member runs substantially vertical to the ski surface and the axis of the driven gear member runs substantially in the ski longitudinal direction.

18. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the supportjaw unit in a central position in such a way that saidsupport jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.

19. A mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.

20. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes eccentric means for transmitting moving forces between said additional support means and said arms.

21. A mechanism according to claim 20, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when sub-' jected to excessive transverse forces.

22. A mechanism according to claim 21, wherein said I mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.

23. A mechanism according to claim 20, wherein said adjusting means includes an actuating member connected to an eccentric element of said eccentric means. said eccentric element having an axis of rotation extending substantially vertically to the ski longitudinal direction, said eccentric element being rotatable about said last-mentioned axis in response to movement of said actuating member with a consequent relative longitudinal movement of said additional support means and said arms.

24. A mechanism according to claim 23, wherein said actuating member is a member rotatable about an axis which is transverse to the axis of said eccentric element.

25. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein fitting means are provided for mounting the supporting arms on the jaw unit for sliding movement of the supporting arms in the fitting means, and wherein said adjusting means includes means for slidably moving the supporting arms in said fitting means.

26. A mechanism according to claim 25, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.

27. A mechanism according to claim 26, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.

28. A front supporting mechanism as defined in claim 25, in which the supporting arms form a joint unit with two forward facing guide pieces and said fitting means comprise two lateral longitudinal guide tracks at the support jaw unit for guiding the supporting arms by means of said guide pieces of the arms.

29. A mechanism as defined in claim 23, in which the axis of rotation of the eccentric element runs vertical to the surface of the ski.

30. A mechanism as defined in claim 23, in which said additional support means includes: two supporting members on respective opposite sides of the ski longitudinal axis, a beam type rocker unit on which thetwo supporting members are situated, and a pivot means between the two supporting members for pivot mounting the rocker unit at the support jaw unit, and wherein said eccentric means are arranged on said pivot means.

31. A front supporting mechanism as defined in claim 30, in which said rocker unit is pivot mounted on said pivot means at a fixed longitudinal position of the ski, and wherein the adjusting means includes means to move said supporting arms at the support jaw and means for interacting connection between the eccentric means and the supporting arms so that when the eccentric means are actuated, the supporting arms are moved in the longitudinal direction of the ski.

32. A ski-boot end supporting mechanism for ski safety bindings comprising:

a support jaw unit with two lateral supporting arms for holding respective opposite lateral sides of an end section of a ski boot,

attaching means for attaching the support jaw unit to a ski,

additional support means arranged between said arms for additionally supporting the ski boot,

and adjusting means for adjustably moving said additional support means and said arms relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the ski, said adjusting means including force transmitting guiding means arranged at substantially the same vertical height above said ski as said additional support means, wherein said additional support means includes a rocker member mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis and two support members arranged on said rocker member at respective opposite sides of said vertical axis.

33. A mechanism according to claim 32, wherein the adjusting means includes a slide piece pivotally connected to said rocker member and means for moving said slide piece and arms with respect to one another in the longitudinal direction.

34. A front supporting mechanism as defined in claim 33, in which said adjusting means comprise an eccentric mechanism.

35. A mechanism according to claim 33, wherein the pivot axis of said slide piece is longitudinally movable with respect to a fixed point on a ski using said mechanism and said arms are longitudinally fixed with respect to said fixed point.

36. A mechanism according to claim 33, wherein the pivot axis of said slide piece is longitudinally fixed with respect to a fixed point on a ski using said mechanism and said arms are longitudinally movable with respect to said fixed point.

37. A mechanism according to claim 36, wherein said adjusting means includes eccentric means engageable with said arms.

38. A mechanism according to claim 33, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.

39. A mechanism according to claim 38, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.

40. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said two lateral supporting arms are formed as a single rigid unit. 

1. A ski-boot end supporting mechanism for ski safety bindings comprising: a support jaw unit with two lateral supporting arms for holding respective opposite lateral sides of an end section of a ski boot, attaching means for attaching the support jaw unit to a ski, additional support means arranged between said arms for additionally supporting the ski boot, and adjusting means for adjustably moving said additional support means and said arms relative to and independently of one another in the longitudinal direction of the ski, said adjusting means including force transmitting guiding means arranged at substantially the same vertical height above said ski as said additional support means.
 2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.
 3. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes a slide piece and means to guide the slide piece longitudinally at the support jaw unit at substantially the same vertical height above said ski as said additional support means.
 4. A mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.
 5. A mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.
 6. A mechanism as defined in claim 5, in which said adjusting means includes means accessible from the outside at the support jaw with the boot fitted in place.
 7. A mechanism as defined in claim 5, in which the additional support means comprise: two support members fitted on both sides of the ski longitudinal axis and a rocker unit on which said two support members are arranged, with provision for pivot mounting of the rocker unit on the slide-piece about a substantially vertical axis in relation to the ski surface.
 8. A mechanism as defined in claim 7, in which said adjusting means additionally has a gear member provided with threads whose axis of rotation runs in the ski longitudinal direction and in which said slide-piece is also fitted with threads for engaging in a threaded spindle of said gear member.
 9. A mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said two lateral supporting arms are formed as a single rigid unit.
 10. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the additional support means includes two support members arranged on respective opposite sides of the ski longitudinal axis, and wherein the adjusting means includes: a component movable in the ski longitudinal direction and a horizontal beam type rocker unit, on which rocker unit the two support members are situated, said adjusting means further including provision for pivot mounting the rocker unit on the component about an axis extending substantially vertical to the ski surface between the two support members.
 11. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which the rocker unit has a top and bottom transverse member between which said component is fitted.
 12. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which the two support members are designed as two rollers.
 13. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which said adjusting means includes a toothed reduction gear.
 14. A mechanism as defined in claim 10, in which said adjustment means includes means accessible from the outside at the support jaw with the boot fitted in place.
 15. A mechanism as defined in claim 14, in which the adjusting means additionally have a toothed gear Unit with a driving gear member and a driven gear with intersecting rotating axes, the driven gear co-operating with said component.
 16. A mechanism as defined in claim 15, in which the gear members of said toothed gear unit are so arranged that the axis of the driving gear member runs substantially in the ski transverse direction, and the axis of the driven gear member runs substantially in the ski longitudinal direction.
 17. A mechanism as defined in claim 15, in which the gear members of said toothed gear unit are so arranged that the axis of the driving gear member runs substantially vertical to the ski surface and the axis of the driven gear member runs substantially in the ski longitudinal direction.
 18. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.
 19. A mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.
 20. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes eccentric means for transmitting moving forces between said additional support means and said arms.
 21. A mechanism according to claim 20, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.
 22. A mechanism according to claim 21, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.
 23. A mechanism according to claim 20, wherein said adjusting means includes an actuating member connected to an eccentric element of said eccentric means, said eccentric element having an axis of rotation extending substantially vertically to the ski longitudinal direction, said eccentric element being rotatable about said last-mentioned axis in response to movement of said actuating member with a consequent relative longitudinal movement of said additional support means and said arms.
 24. A mechanism according to claim 23, wherein said actuating member is a member rotatable about an axis which is transverse to the axis of said eccentric element.
 25. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein fitting means are provided for mounting the supporting arms on the jaw unit for sliding movement of the supporting arms in the fitting means, and wherein said adjusting means includes means for slidably moving the supporting arms in said fitting means.
 26. A mechanism according to claim 25, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.
 27. A mechanism according to claim 26, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.
 28. A front supporting mechanism as defined in claim 25, in which the supporting arms form a joint unit with two forward facing guide pieces and said fitting means comprise two lateral longitudinal guide tracks at the support jaw unit for guiding the supporting arms by means of said guide pieces of the arms.
 29. A mechanism as defined in claim 23, in which the axis of rotation of the eccentric element runs vertical to the surface of the ski.
 30. A mechanism as defined in claim 23, in which said additional support means includes: two supporting members on respective opposite sides of the ski longitudinal axis, a beam type rocker unit on which the two supporting members are situated, and a pivot means between the two supporting members for pivot mounting the rocker unit at the support jaw unit, and wherein said eccentric means are arranged on said pivot means.
 31. A front supporting mechanism as defined in claim 30, in which said rocker unit is pivot mounted on said pivot means at a fixed longitudinal position of the ski, and wherein the adjusting means includes means to move said supporting arms at the support jaw and means for interacting connection between the eccentric means and the supporting arms so that when the eccentric means are actuated, the supporting arms are moved in the longitudinal direction of the ski.
 32. A ski-boot end supporting mechanism for ski safety bindings comprising: a support jaw unit with two lateral supporting arms for holding respective opposite lateral sides of an end section of a ski boot, attaching means for attaching the support jaw unit to a ski, additional support means arranged between said arms for additionally supporting the ski boot, and adjusting means for adjustably moving said additional support means and said arms relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the ski, said adjusting means including force transmitting guiding means arranged at substantially the same vertical height above said ski as said additional support means, wherein said additional support means includes a rocker member mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis and two support members arranged on said rocker member at respective opposite sides of said vertical axis.
 33. A mechanism according to claim 32, wherein the adjusting means includes a slide piece pivotally connected to said rocker member and means for moving said slide piece and arms with respect to one another in the longitudinal direction.
 34. A front supporting mechanism as defined in claim 33, in which said adjusting means comprise an eccentric mechanism.
 35. A mechanism according to claim 33, wherein the pivot axis of said slide piece is longitudinally movable with respect to a fixed point on a ski using said mechanism and said arms are longitudinally fixed with respect to said fixed point.
 36. A mechanism according to claim 33, wherein the pivot axis of said slide piece is longitudinally fixed with respect to a fixed point on a ski using said mechanism and said arms are longitudinally movable with respect to said fixed point.
 37. A mechanism according to claim 36, wherein said adjusting means includes eccentric means engageable with said arms.
 38. A mechanism according to claim 33, wherein said attaching means includes locking means for retaining the support jaw unit in a central position in such a way that said support jaw unit automatically pivots sideways against the action of said locking means when subjected to excessive transverse forces.
 39. A mechanism according to claim 38, wherein said mechanism is a front supporting mechanism for a ski boot.
 40. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said two lateral supporting arms are formed as a single rigid unit. 